


Bring me a lighter so I can see through the dark.

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Child Neglect, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, F/M, Foster Care, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26203018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “I don’t believe you are a bad person, Tony.” She said, and she sounded so sincere.Tony couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh. “That’s because you don’t know me. You think you do but you’re wrong.”“No,” Her voice was firm. “No, Tony. You act like a bad person so people won’t feel so guilty for treating you like shit. That doesn’t make you a bad person. That just makes you a human.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tony never really cared about anything. Family. Staying sober. Doing well in school. His life. Nothing. Then, after a night of fun and mistakes, he’s thrown into a whole new life with people he’s never met. He tries to cope as well as he can but that doesn’t always work out in his favour. Will he make it out of this year alive, or with more trauma?
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	1. The Downfall of a God

The music was far too loud. Tony grabbed the sides of his head, trying to muffle the sounds of college kids incoherently screaming the words to some random rap song he can’t remember the words to. He leaned his body against the wall, looking out over the sea of what has to be over a hundred drunk and high kids. He decided he couldn’t judge too much as he, too, was a drunk high kid. He closed his eyes, the sound of fun putting a strain on his temples. He leaned his head back against the wall, his mouth hanging open, desperate to inhale oxygen rather then alcohol. 

A soft hand grabbed his arm, gently rubbing circles into the skin. His eyes peered open, confused at the sudden presence of another person. His eyes met with concerned blue ones. They were pretty. A dopey smile fell onto the wasted teens face. The girl in front of him was frowning, her eyes scanning his face. She was talking, Tony realised.

“-ear me? Hey, there you go. Can you hear me?” Her voice was smooth, like honey and milk. Tony liked the way she spoke, like she had all the time in the world. Like she cared.

Tony remembered she had asked a question and nodded his head, nearly falling onto the girl with the weight of it. She grabbed him arms, supporting him upwards as she turned her head to the side and started shouting to someone else. Tony would’ve liked to see who she was shouting to but his head refused to move, instead his whole body started to tilt forward. Although the girl was obviously strong, she couldn’t possible hold up his dead weight. Suddenly, another presence arrived in time to hold him up. This persons hands were rougher. They were speaking to him. They sounded mean and cold. They were holding him up by the shoulders and dragging him away from the pretty girl. Tony closed his eyes again, trusting the person holding him to not drop him. A door opened and closed again. Then, it was silent.

Tony opened his eyes again, almost being blinded by how clear the room was. He was in a pristine white bathroom, sitting the the toilet lid, head rolling onto the cold sink counter beside him. He lay there panting, attempting to regain some composure before inspecting the person who had brought him here, suddenly confused. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

“Hi, Ti.”

Tiberius Stone looked down at him, his confident posture and sour face making the teen uncomfortable. 

“Jesus Christ Tony. You stink of tequila. You’re lucky i found you when i did.” His voice was cold and judgemental. He never did understand why Tony would get so wasted at party’s, although he never discouraged it either.

“M’sorry Ti, just wanted to have fun....” Tony slurred.

Stone scoffed. “Bit too much fun, don’t you think. God, Kid, it’s so embarrassing when you do th-“ Tiberius was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. The girl from earlier peered in before fully entering. She was wearing a tiny blue dress, which complimented her blue eyes and red hair perfectly. She smiled sadly at him before handing Stone two small bags.

“I got what you asked for, although I don’t see how this is gonna help him.” Her voice was like a lullaby. Tony’s eyes shut again.

“Trust me, ok? This is gonna make him all better.”

“Ti, he needs a hospital, or help. Something other than this.”

“Pepper, I swear to fuck, if you’re gonna sit here and cry about it, you can fuck right off.”

A tense silence filled the room. Tony felt a hand in his hair, massaging it softly. He preened under the touch, following the hand as it pulled away. The bathroom door opened once again and closed. Ti sighed angrily, kneeling down in front of the teen. He held a yellow pill in his palm, holding it towards Tony. He stared at it in confusion, too drunk to understand what he was supposed to do with it. Stone thrusted it into Tonys hand.

“It’s for your headache.” Ti explained simply. Tony nodded numbly and swallowed the pill dry. He lay his head down again, waiting to feel better.

Ti pat him on the head. “Come find me when it kicks in. I’ll bring you home.” And then he left, just like that. He left. 

After a few minutes, a sudden rush of euphoria brought him back to life. He leaned his head back, his mind becoming clearer and his eyes finally opening fully. His hands were shaking but he ignored it in favour of the happiness that filled his chest. He rose form his place on the toilet seat, his headache fading but felt extremely dizzy. He stumbled to the mirror to fix himself up, to look presentable for when he caught up with Ti. He noticed a bag on the counter. He picked it up and shook it slightly. Cocaine. Bingo. Tony smiled. He shoved the bag into his jean pocket and pushed himself towards the door. 

He stumbled into the hallway, college kids seemed to be everywhere. Some dancing, some smoking, most simply relaxing against the walls. Tony took a deep breath and started to make his way down the hall. Every now and again, his balance would fail him and he would frantically grab onto the wall to spare himself the embarrassment to falling. Soon, he made it out into the front yard. A group of college kids he barely recognised started calling to him. He wobbled towards the group, unable to comprehend a reason why he shouldn’t. A girl ran towards him. It was the pretty girl from earlier.

“Hey, how are you feeling now?” She asked concerned.

Tony smiled a drowsy smile. “M’k. M’tired though. You’re really pretty.” Tony’s smile grew wider as the girl blushed. “I never got your name?”

The girl smiled. “I’m Pepper. Pepper Potts.”

“I’m Tony. Tony Stark.” They shared a soft moment, looking into each others eyes, smiling slightly. Tony was about to continue the conversation before he felt a presence coming towards him.

Suddenly, Ti came bounding over, tripping over his own feet and his eyes bright red. He stunk of weed.

“Tony, my boy. We’re gonna go on a ride. You should come.” He said, slapping the teen on the back.

“M’don’t know Ti. Should be getting home now. You know what Howard is like....” Tony began but Ti was already dragging Tony towards the white porsche that already had four people seated inside. He looked behind himself, desperate to feel Peppers hand again but watched as she got swept up in a conversation with who Tony could only assume were her friends. Ti placed Tony in the car beside some girl who’s skirt was riding up her thigh. 

“Ti?” Tony called after Stone had gotten himself a place in the vehicle as well.

“What?” He replied, his speech slurring, almost as bad as Tony’s.

“Wh......what was in the pill?” The boy asked, whatever he had taken hitting him hard now. He lost his breath and his eyes refused to focus.

Tiberius looked at his friends who all burst into hysterical laughter. “Oh, boy. It was valium. We had spare and you looked like you were fading, dude.” He got out between laughter. 

Tony, in a fit of confusion, started laughing too. It hurt his stomach and chest but he couldn’t stop. Whoever was in the front seat turned on the AUX and played Mr Brightside by The Killers. Tony has never laughed so much in his life. He felt fucking happy. Finally.

The car pulled to a stop. The girl sitting beside the teen smiled sickly and purred, “This is where you get out sweetheart.” Tony stared at her, confused at what she meant. 

“No, no. Ti said he’s dropping me home. Right Ti?”

Tiberius hummed uncertainly. “Ya....about that. Change of plans buddy. Don’t worry, you’re house is only like three blocks away. You’ll be fine.” He continued his conversation with his friends. Oh. Ya. His friends. Not Tony’s friends. Tony sighed and dizzily left the vehicle. He watched as it sped off and leaned his head back to accept the euphoria of the nights drugs.

A violent shiver ran down Tony’s spine. His back arched and he shook his arms out, trying to gather some sort of warmth back into his stiff body. He shuddered out a sigh, the cold night making his breath disappear in a small cloud. He watched as it rose into the night sky. He stared for a minute. Admiring the way the stars and moon just......connect. All so different, but so important in their own way. No competition. Just peace. Just being. Tony smiled. He always did love space.

A car zoomed past, narrowly missing the boy, who had been blindly wandering forward towards the busy road. He shook his head, trying to force himself to focus on the situation at hand. He couldn’t really remember much of the night. He remembered starting the night smoking weed, laughing until he couldn’t breath and smiling until his jaw cramped, and ending it with taking valium from a guy he didn’t trust in a strangers bathroom, then getting in a car surrounded by people who’s names he never got. 

Valium? Oh, ya, that explains why he feels so light. 

His head was fuzzy. He couldn’t think or focus or control his body in any way. He couldn’t stop smiling. His head felt heavy, like it was too much for his body to carry. He couldn’t hold it still. His tongue felt disgusting. Dirty. He could still taste the tobacco from his last cigarette and some girl, who’s name he couldn’t recall, cocoa butter chapstick. He decided it was not a good mix of flavours. 

His eyes kept shutting closed without him realising. They felt so heavy but he couldn’t let himself sleep. Not yet, anyway. He started staggering down the street, his right hand supporting himself on a building while his feet struggled to keep up with him. He paused for just a moment, trying to remember his friend Sunsets address, hoping she would at least let Tony crash on his couch for a few hours or maybe have a quick shower. She didn’t go to the party, although she’s probably at someone else’s right now. He glanced at his reflection in the window of the an old antique store. If he had any sober cells left in his body, maybe he would’ve gasped.

His ACDC shirt had a tear in the bottom of it, the dried vomit smeared on it left him wondering if the sick was his or not. His jeans were scuffed and the knees were covered in mud. Had he been crawling? He can’t remember. He wasn’t wearing any shoes. 

‘Huh. That’s weird.’ Tony thought, having to physically stop himself from bursting into hysterical laughter.

His socks had holes in them. If he didn’t know himself, he would’ve mistaken himself for wasted white trash. He allowed himself to giggle at that. 

The concrete floor was really cold, he realised. He was on the floor now. Wait.

‘How did i get here?’ Tony wondered, not remembering falling down, or getting on the ground at all.

Tony pushed himself upward, a head rush hitting him from how fast he stood up. He staggered down the road again, concentrating on where to put his feet, trying to prevent himself from tripping or looking wasted. He passed by an old gas station that looks like it should’ve been shut down years ago but somehow was still running. He pushed himself towards the bathroom, praying no one else was here. Bile started to make its way up his throat, causing him to gag and he pushed the steely door open. It creaked so loud that the teen had to cover his ears and lean on the door to stop himself from collapsing. He rushed into one of the stalls and hunched over the toilet. A headache hit him full force and he gagged, throwing the nights stomach contents into the bowl. He sat there, hunched over for five minutes, gagging every now and again and spitting out spare bile and saliva. He sat back and flushed the toilet, the smell making him queasy. He rested his head against the stall wall, his knees pulled up to his chest. 

He was coming down from his high and he could feel the alcohol leaving his body. He hated that feeling. He pulled out his phone carelessly. He checked the time and laughed when he saw that it was 5:37am. His battery was at 27%. He had hundreds of missed calls from various people he couldn’t be bothered to care about. Tony shuffled, the extra gram of coke in his pocket making him aware of its existence again as the bag it was in crinkled. He pulled the bag out, contemplating if he should just do it. He knew it was laced, he didn’t know what it was laced with but he knew it was laced anyhow. Everything Ti gave him was laced. He looked at the gram and looked back at his phone and all he could think was ‘fuck it’. He forced himself up, focusing on keeping balance as he walked towards the gas station bathroom counter. He stared at the mirror for a second. He didn’t stare for long. He didn’t want to look. He pulled the gram out and poured it out onto the counter. He took out his credit card that he kept in his back pocket, and cut the coke into five neat, thin lines. The crinkled $5 bill in his pocket came in useful, as Tony rolled it up and snorted the five lines he had made for himself. It was too much. He knew it was. He was already high, he didn’t need to take five lines but he did anyway. He didn’t regret it. He tilted his head back, letting the euphoria of the drugs kick in. He got another head rush but at this point he could not care less. He watched as his fingers bounced on the bathroom floor, like they were dancing to a nonexistent song. 

‘When did I get on the floor?’ Tony thought, but he wasn’t that scared or bothered and simply laughed. And then he couldn’t stop laughing or smiling. He was not a person anymore and that thought comforted him more then it should’ve. 

Suddenly , Tony realised he’d made a mistake. He didn’t want to die and he knew he was about to. No one ingests that much alcohol and drugs and make it out alive. Blood trickled out of his nose and suddenly he felt like he couldn’t see. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t feel his tongue, and his toes were starting to get numb. A shaky hand brought his phone up to his face and he unlocked it. He pressed a number that he barely recognised. He could feel vomit rising into his throat and he could not do anything about it, nor did he want to. The ringing from his phone was almost like a lullaby, like a goodbye. It felt ironic in a way, Tony dying like this. Dying after a night of wild partying, ingesting more drugs and alcohol than ever in history. Hooking up with as many girls that would let him. And then here he is, actually dying, in an old gas station bathroom having done five lines of laced coke, and the last thing he’s hearing is the phone dial. Not the way he pictured he go out but it least he’s going in peace. At least he’s not in pain. Which is more than he could ever have asked for.

The phone clicked.

“Hello?”

Holy shit! Someone answered!

“Hello? Is anyone there? Tony? You better not be prank calling me again boy.”

He knew that voice.

“H-Hi un-cle Nick.” He slurred his way through his sentence, his tongue not cooperating with his brain.

“Tony? Are you ok? What’s going on?

“I.......I really fucked up this time, Nicky. I can’t see. I wanna- i wanna see. Please...I..wanna see things...”

“Kid? Hey! Kid, I need you to tell me where you are, ok? Can you do that for me?” Tony could hear rattling on the other side of the phone but he couldn’t understand what it could be.

“Ya, Nicky, I can do that.......I was.....I think i’m..... im in a gas station....”

Tony’s body fell forward, he landed on his side, face touching the cool ground. He got lost in the cool sensation before hearing a voice. 

‘Fuck, the phone.’ He thought, hurriedly grabbing it again but this time putting it on speaker as he couldn’t move his body enough to bring it to his ear.

“Tony? I need you to concentrate. Where was the party held?”

‘How did he know i was at a party?’ Tony wondered absentmindedly, but decided not to worry too much about it.

“It was on Thorne Road....I-I’m not there anymore Nick....I can’t think... I wanna see again...”

Tony’s eyes were shut, having no energy to open them anymore. The blood trickling form his nose refused to calm, accompanied by a trail of drool dripping from Tony’s mouth onto the yellow stained bathroom floor. His hands wouldn’t move and his tongue had stopped working. Although the drugs and alcohol in his system calmed him down so much so that he didn’t feel scared or worried about dying, he was still in pain. His stomach was desperate to eject the foul contents of old alcohol, cramping constantly and violently. His body was shaking, like he was cold but he wasn’t. He was warm. Far too warm. He wanted to shed his shirt, suddenly feeling far too constrained. He moaned out in pain and discomfort, only for the vomit building in his throat to make an entrance. 

Then he couldn’t breathe. Or see. Or feel. He was nothing. And although he knew he had fucked up severely, he couldn’t help but find comfort in the idea of death. Just peaceful, uninterrupted bliss. If he could muster the energy to, he might’ve smiled at the idea. He could hear sirens in the distance, and shouting bouncing off the tile walls of the old bathroom. He knew someone was there, lifting him up, but Tony was far too tired to react. Far too cold. Too much.

The teen felt himself lose the battle of consciousness, his mind slipping farther and farther from reality. He thought ‘Finally, i’m going. Fucking finally.’ His heart was beating far too fast and his head was too cloudy to comprehend the pain in his chest. 

Just as Tony’s body began to give up, he heard a distant, firm voice saying “Boy, if you don’t make it out of this alive, i’m gonna kill you.”

When the dark finally accepted him, he hoped that someone will have something good to remember him for. He doesn’t want to disappear. He wants to be remembered. That’s all he wants. And yet, it’s too much.


	2. Fall from heaven, straight into hell

When Tony came to, he thought he was in heaven. The room was so bright, so clean, so white. The bed he lay on was so comfortable. It was the kind of bed he would seek out as a kid to jump on. He decides this bed would be very bouncy. The duvet was thin and didn’t really keep any warmth but it was soft so he didn’t mind too much. Even heaven can’t be perfect. The smell is what brought doubt to the teens conclusion. It smelt like bleach. Like the walls had been scrubbed down until they started to crumble. The floors were so shiny that he knew he would slip on them if he touched them. The thing that made Tony realise he was definitely not in heaven was the nasal cannula in his nose. Yep, he was in a hospital room. In a hospital bed. Tony’s brain racked itself, desperate to remember how he ended up here, but he came up blank. He couldn’t remember a thing. That’s weird. Why doesn’t he remember anything?

There was movement outside the door to his hospital room. Tony felt himself begin to panic, the realisation of his forgetfulness leaving him confused and frightened. Suddenly, the room was too bright, the mattress was too hard, the duvet was too itchy. His hospital gown was starting to feel constricting. He hated hospitals and has since he was eleven. He used to visit his mother in them all the time when she got sick. She was sick a lot. God, she must’ve hated it.

The door opened with a loud creak. His heart leaped in his chest and his palms grew sweaty. He shoved his shaking hands under the duvet, wanting to have some sort of pride. A doctor in a long white coat entered the room, followed by two nurses in blue uniforms and a tall, dark skinned man in black clothing. Wait....he knew that man.

“Well, good morning, Mr.Pablo Escobar. Hope you’re feeling refreshed this afternoon.” The man announced, smirking at the way Tony’s face dropped.

“N-Nick?” Tony rasped out, shocked by how dry his throat was. Nick Fury, who’s dark glare has killed men, softened at Tony’s attempted to speak. He smiled reassuringly.

“Don’t push yourself too hard kid. You had a tube shoved down there for quite a awhile.” Fury said, attempting to settle the confusion on Tony’s face. The teen nodded and refocused his attention to the doctor who smiled at him reassuringly.

“Good is afternoon, Mr Stark. I will be you’re doctor today. My name is Dr. Newman. Now, we couldn’t get ahold of your parents and as Mr Fury is your godfather he has given me permission to run you through your condition. Is that ok?”

The doctor seemed to be talking a mile a minute. Tony finally wrapped his head around what was being said and nodded weakly, not trusting himself to talk. The doctor smiled sadly, flicking through the papers on his clipboard.

“Now, Mr Stark-“

“Please...”, Tony interrupted, clearing his voice as best he could and mustered up his infamous paparazzi smile. “Call me Tony. Mr Stark is my father.”

The doctor tilted his head but nodded nonetheless. “Of course, Tony. Now, you were rushed into ER at 6:03am on Saturday morning. Your condition was unstable. You had suffered from a drug overdose and alcohol poisoning. We found traces of marijuana, cocaine, valium and procaine in your blood. Your blood alcohol level was .43%. We managed to get you here just in time. We hooked you up to an IV, we had you on oxygen therapy and we pumped your stomach with an nasogastric tube. We did everything we could and your condition is stable although we will continue to monitor you for the next four to five days. Now-“

Tony started to shake his head, his eyes locked on the duvet. His eyes were wide and he looked scared. His breathing was laboured and he began to shake.

“W....Wait, you said...you said on Saturday morning. What-What day is it now?” Tony breathes out, his panic heightening at the thought of being unconscious for days in a unfamiliar place. The doctor was being too casual about this. He needed to be more frantic. More scared. Like Tony.

Dr Newman grimly replied, “It’s currently 1:45pm on Monday. I’m very sorry Tony. I know this must be very scary, but i promise you are in good hands.”

“Shit.” Tony sighed, leaning his head back to stop any tears from spilling. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up to see his uncle Nick staring down at him . He smiled. Tony’s face scrunched up, like he was in pain but he was simply distressed at this new information that he was still struggling to understand. The teen nodded to the doctor, indicating for him to continue with his sentence.

“Now, Tony, during our analysis of your condition, we’ve noticed signs of child neglect. You were malnourished and dehydrated when you came in and when your father was questioned about your whereabouts, he said he hadn’t seen you in days.” The doctor glanced at Nick nervously. “Tony...social services have gotten involved.” 

Tony’s face fell. Fuck. No. Nick noticed Tony’s whole body tense up and grabbed his hand supportively.

“They’ll be visiting you in about 45 minutes to ask some questions. Is that ok?”The doctor asked, sensing the teen needed to have some sort of control in this situation.

“Um....” Tony looked at Nick, desperate for an answer. “Yes. It’s....It’s fine.”

The doctor nodded before continuing. “Due to your alcohol and drug abuse, in the past and currently, we are recommending rehabilitation treatment. Here are some we recommend. They have....really good results.” Dr Newman places a set of pamphlets on the bed resting near Tony’s thigh. “We have also recommended a psychiatrist. Shes the best we know and she’ll be visiting you tomorrow. Tony, i-i know this is a lot to take in. Especially for someone your age. But, we’re all on your side.” The doctor smiled, as if knowing a doctor supports a 16 year old going to rehab will make Tony suddenly open to the idea. Which Tony was not.

“I’m fine, Doctor. I just need to get home.” Tony started to push himself up, ignoring the protests his bones made in favour of leaving the suddenly cold room. A hand pushed Tony on the chest, attempting to get the teen to settle back into bed but instead Tony grabbed the hand and glared at the owner.

“Tony.... No.” Nicks voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. Well, maybe a little bit of room.

“Nick, no you don’t understand. I’m fine. It was a fluke. This wasn’t suppose to happen. I need to get home. You know I need to get home. I-I can’t stay here.P-Please.” The teens eyes glazed over, his breathing sped up and he broke out in a cold sweat. “H-Hang on...why am i so cold?”

The doctor hummed, “Yes, that would be a withdrawal symptom. It’s gonna be rough but don’t worry. For the next week or so we’re gonna keep your here and very slowly ween you off of alcohol and drugs. Hopefully, by that time you will have decided whether to go to a rehabilitation facility or not, it will have fully left your system.” Dr.Newman smiled again. “Well, I will leave you two too it. I will check in again later. Good luck Tony.” And with that, he left, leaving a confused Tony and a blank faced Nick.

They say in silence, refusing to make eye contact with each other. The tension was thick, both waiting for the other shoe to drop. Tony glanced at Nick nervously, then cleared his throat slightly. “Nick, I.....I’m really sorry about all this.” He broke the silence.

Fury scoffed, shaking his head slightly. “You’re sorry? What about?” Tony stared at him, confused at the question. 

“Well, for causing this mess. This wasn’t suppose to happen-“

“Really? Not suppose to happen? What wasn’t suppose to happen? You weren’t suppose to be at that party? You weren’t suppose to be drinking because your sixteen and it’s illegal? You weren’t suppose to be taking drugs? Calling me at six in the morning? Me hearing you choke on your own vomit through the phone? That wasn’t suppose to happen? Really? Are you sure?” He shook his head, taking a deep breath before continuing. “‘Cause Tony, I think you wanted it to happen....”

“Jesus fuck, Nick! Are you fucking serious? You think i want this shit?” Tony nearly screamed back, frustration slowly building in his chest. Nick smirked, eyes wide with astonishment.

“Ya. I do. Listen to me carefully boy,” Nick levelled his glare with Tony, the teen glaring back with just as much anger. “You’re gonna tell me what the fuck was going through your head when you decided to overdose. Then, i’m gonna go get us some lunch. And, when the social workers come, you’re gonna tell them the truth and get the help you need. And when you get discharged, you are going to rehab. No questions. No fights. Then, we’re gonna figure out what the fuck to do together. Have I made myself clear?” Nick finished, panting heavily, the irritation leaving his body finally. 

He finally took a look at Tony. A real look. He looked weak, like he hadn’t eaten in days. His hair was greasy and Nick could tell he had been nervously running his fingers through it. His eyes were red rimmed and he kept squirming uncomfortably, although, Nick couldn’t tell if it was because of his hospital gown or because he was in withdrawal. He had a sheet of sweat covering his forehead. Nicks heart pinged in his chest, a flush of guilt hitting for being so harsh on the boy. The teen looked down at his hands, his fingers interlocking.

“Ya. Ok. That...That’s whatever.” Tony replies weakly, no heat behind his voice anymore. He lay himself back down horizontally, staring at the ceiling blankly. Although Nick was desperate for an explanation about what really happened, but he understood he had pushed Tony too far too fast. So he left to get them both some lunch, burger king, Tony’s favourite fast food place, and hopefully raise some spirits.

When the social workers finally left at 6pm, Tony was emotionally drained. The social workers dragged the truth out of Tony where he finally admitted to Howard roughing him up a bit and neglecting Tony from time to time. That was enough fuel for the workers to decided that Tony should be immediately removed from the house and placed in foster care until their investigation into the Stark family came to a conclusion. That decision led Tony to have a full breakdown in his hospital room. With violent sobs, he screamed at the workers to let him go home. When that idea got shut down, Tony got filled with a sudden rage. In hindsight, the workers probably didn’t like an emotional child throwing a chair at them in a fit of rage due to him being told he can’t go home to a neglectful father. About six nurses rushed in, held him down and sedated him. Was not fun. 

When the teen woke up, the room was empty. He sat up, the mouth unbelievably dry. His eyes struggled to stay open, groggy from the forced slumber. He lay there for a moment, taking in the severity of the whole situation. So far he’s had an overdose, alcohol poisoning, been put in foster care, an investigation is going on about his home life, and he threw a chair at a social worker. Not a good weekend at all. He barely noticed when a stray tear flowed down his cheek. His breath stuttered, his heart gripped tight as he let himself go. He lay in the hospital bed, his sobs racking his whole body. He wanted his mama. He really wanted his mama.

And that how he fell asleep that night. Sobbing and dreaming about his mama. Nick watched from the room window, allowing one tear to slip through his cold facade. He pulled out his phone, debating whether he should make the call or not. He glanced back at the distressed teen and decided he had to.

He dials a number he knows by heart. They pick up. “Hey Peggy. I have a situation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to clarify i am not a doctor or a social worker and don’t have a lot of knowledge of these subjects, so the way i have written these characters may be totally incorrect and if so i’m very sorry. i tried to do as much research as i could but i couldn’t find a whole lot   
> Also sorry this chapter is a bit short. I wasn’t totally confident in writing it and rushed it a bit. But i hope you enjoyed .  
> xx


	3. my life is changing but i’m not, and that scares me.

Rehab was not what Tony expected. He didn’t really know what he expected but it wasn’t this. The first week of rehab was hell. The hospital had kept some of the drugs in his system to avoid him going off them cold turkey, but by the time he had gotten to rehab it was safe enough to remove them completely. Not to say it was easy. God, no. He spent the first week lying in bed, getting up every hour or so to throw up whatever he had in his stomach, which wasn’t a lot. When he finally got clean he felt cold a lot. He had taken to wearing oversized sweatshirts and blankets constantly. He attended group therapy sessions but he never spoke unless directly asked something, and even then he kept it vague. What he did learn was there’s a lot of people a lot more fucked up then him. It was incredibly awkward. That was comforting in a way.

He finally found a good therapist too. Dr.Otto. She was very kind, and a soft spoken person and Tony couldn’t help but tell her everything. He reminded her of his mama. Maybe that’s why he likes her so much. After several sessions with her, she finally diagnosed him with type 1 bipolar disorder, depression and ADHD. Tony has the audacity to be shocked by his diagnosis. He now had to take six little pills a day, three in the morning and three at night. They were helping, in a way. He felt more calm and his head felt clearer, but he was also always so tired and felt numb. When he told Dr.Otto about this though, she encouraged him to continue taking them, reassuring him that the side effects would eventually fade. He trusted her.

He tried not to care too much about his lack of visitors. Nick visited him every Friday for a few hours which was nice of him to do. He knew Howard was under investigation and wouldn’t visit him. He hoped Ti would but he never do. Tony didn’t even know if Ti knew he was in there. Tony dreamed of the red haired girl from the party. Although, Tonys memories of her are fuzzy at best, he can still imagine her soft hands and kind face. It was lonely.

When he got checked out after spending three months in rehab, he expected for Howard to be waiting at the entrance, chauffeur beside him, holding court papers that declared that Tony go home instantly. Instead, he walked out to see Nick Fury standing ominously by a sleek black car. He stalked over to Tony, grabbing his suitcase and bags and throwing them in the back seat. Tony stared at him, unimpressed by whatever he was attempting to do. In the car, Nick explained to him that he would be staying the night at his place. When he got to Nicks house, which was impressive in size and a two storey villa, there was a social worker waiting for them. 

Inside the house, she, Ms.Walker, explained the whole situation. Tony’s father was being prosecuted for child neglect and child abuse. Tony would have to stay in social services custody until the court makes a decision on the Stark case. She explained that even if Howard pays people off, the court order would still take about a year to process. Now, as Howard has not been convicted yet, he was still given permission to visit Tony once a month with supervision if he attends weekly anger management classes and alcoholics anonymous, if Tony gives allows him to. 

She clarified that Tony would have to continue seeing his therapist at least one a week for the foreseeable future. Then, she dropped the bombshell.

“Now, Tony.” She dropped her paperwork in her lap and smiled sickly at the boy. “We have found a suitable foster family. They have a bunch of lovely kids that come for similar background. The house to huge and the couple seem lovely. I think you’ll like them.” She smirked.

Tony stared at her in disbelief. He laughed, causing a look of confusion to settle on her face. “Not going.” He said simply, shrugging his shoulders smugly.

Nick sighed, “Tony, please. We’ve been through this before-“

“Nick, i’m hearing you. I am. It sounds like this is important to you which makes me care even less about this.”

“Kid-“

“Nah, Nick, i’m good. Really. I’ll live by myself it’s fine.”

“Tony-“

“I’ll use my leftover pocket money and get an apartment or something. Maybe get one of those job things. Who know?”

“Tony!”

Tony stared at the man, a blank look carefully placed on his face as Nick slowly walked towards him and pulled him into a hug. “It’s ok to be scared. That’s ok. I’m expecting that. But, please, stop running.”

Tony shoved his face into his uncles shoulder, hiding his distressed face in the material. “Ok.” He simply said, no more arguments. Just compliance. Not a good look on Tony.

He tossed and turned the whole night, unable to stay comfortable while knowing that he’s gonna be living with some random family for the next while. It was stressful. Tony got up at 2am and grabbed a box of cigarettes he had hidden in his bag and snuck for a smoke. Oh well. He couldn’t abandon all his bad habits. He remembered the girl who gave the pack to him while in rehab. She always seemed to have a secret pack and when Tony asked about it, she simply handed him hers. Nice girl. Shame Tony had to met her there. He made himself comfortable as he sat on the ground, leaning against the wall surrounding the house. He inhaled the toxins. As he exhaled he could feel the stress fading, leaving him to feel numb again. He almost missed the stress but the burn at the back of his tongue from his cigarette will have to make do. 

He raised his cigarette to the sky, like he was the father in law of the bride at a wedding, raising a glass of wine, prepared to make a toast. 

“Here to dying before dawn. May the odds be in our favour.” Tony grinned widely, bringing the cigarette back to his lips and inhaling deeply, hoping that if he does make it to tomorrow, that it’s a little fucking kinder then today.

Tony woke up to find Nick hovering over him, holding up an alarm clock blasting the national anthem, his face scrunched up like he was smelling something foul. Tony jumped,scared by the sudden presence and noise. He glared harshly at Nick, grabbing his heart in an attempt to calm its beating. Nick raised an eyebrow before placing the still screaming alarm clock on Tonys bedside table. As he walked out the door, Tony heard him call out “Go take a shower, you smell like a chimney.” Tony shoved a pillow over his head to muffle his groans and slammed the alarm clock to shut it up. Fuck. He mustered up the courage to look at the time which read 9am. Tony groaned even louder. He managed to get to sleep at 6am, having worn himself out by deciding to do on a walk around Nicks neighbourhood at 4am. Running on three hours of sleep is something Tony is pretty much an expert at but that doesn’t make it anymore fun.

Once Tony showered, took his meds, and packed his bags, he met Nick downstairs, who handed him a BLT in a small brown bag and iced coffee drink. Tony smirked at the subtle display while Nick gave him an unimpressed look and gestured for him to move himself to the car. On the ride to.....well, Tony’s new home, he ate his food while listening to some Frank Ocean. Nick picked up Ms.Walker on the way there. Her attempts at conversation were quickly shut down and she realised it was far too earlier to be trying to talk to a teenager.

The drive was a good 20 minutes from Nicks house. Tony was pleased when Ms.Walker made a passing comment that Tony would be attending the local public school other than his old private one. He was pleased because he knew that Tiberius and Pepper and their friends attended that school. At least he would have people to talk to during lunch. As Nick pulled into the driveway of a quite large house, Tony’s mouth dropped open, impressed by the home. It was in a large, rich enough neighbourhood and the house was huge. Now, Tony had grown up in mansions his whole life so it was on the smaller scale for him in that sense, but he just spent three months in rehab so right now it looked like a castle. Tony, so lost in thought, doesn’t even register it when Nick opens his door. Nick waved in his face, attempting to regain the boys focus. Tony shook his head slightly before finally getting out of the car. He was desperate for another cigarette.

Tony stared at the house, Nick insisting to gather his bags for him. He scanned it, noticing a few figures peeking through the curtains of a window on the second storey. He tilted his head and smiled at the figures, the curtain quickly attempting to cover the people, having noticed they’d been caught. Tony smirked and refocused his attention to Nick, who was struggling to carry Tony’s bags due to their weight. Tony giggled and moved towards him to grab his suitcase, which definitely held the most of Tony’s stuff. Nick glared at him but allowed him to help. They strode towards the large oak door before Ms.Walker knocked three times.

Nick turned to Tony. “Listen kid, i know you don’t wanna be here. I get that. But, please, don’t do any dumb shit.” Tony gave him an unimpressed look. 

“Listen Nick, i don’t plan on playing nice here. I’m just here for a place to sleep but i refuse to treat them like their my family. Their not. I’ll treat them like strangers because that’s what they are.” Tony smiled sweetly at the disappointed look gave him. 

A kind looking women opens the door. She was dressed in a vintage red dress and expensive looking jewellery. Her hair was pinned nearly back. She had a bright red lipstick on and sharp black eyeliner. She looked to be in her early 40s. If she were Tony’s age, she would definitely be the type of girl he would pursue. She looked him up and down, Tony shifting uncomfortably under her steady gaze, and held her perfectly manicured hand out to him. He shook it firmly and smiled. She smirked back.

“Hello, there. My name is Peggy Carter and you must be Anthony.” She smiled sweetly. “I am the owner of this house. You’re welcome to come in and we’ll have a chat.” Before anyone could answer, she was already walking away.

The group at the door hurried to follow her. Nick walked down the long hallway, seeming like he knew his way around. Ms.Walker was speed walking after Nick, attempting to take in the beautiful architecture of the house while simultaneously keeping up. Tony, on the other hand, walked leisurely, taking in how homely it looked. The walls were a deep red, the grey carpet complimenting the contrast in colour. There were family portrait everyone. Ones of a younger Peggy Carter and some of her now with an older man and a group of teenagers. He walked past the staircase and there were children’s pictures leading up to the top. Drawings of houses and people done in crayon. Tony frowned, confused at the pictures. Tony’s father had never let Tony hang his drawings anywhere. Once, his mother had hung a picture Tony had drawn of her on the fridge. Tony spent the next week making excuses as to why he had a black eye. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those memories and continued down the hall. 

He entered the room he saw the group disappear in and took a moment to take a deep breath. The room looked to be a living room or study type of area. The walls were a deep blue and the floors were wooden with a boar he white rug in the middle of the room. There were bookcases covering the walls, Tony’s heart pinged, desperate to look through all the books. There was a fireplace with a large TV places on the walls above it. Two armchairs lay on either side of a comfortable looking couch. There was a window in the centre of the wall, a window seat places instead of a window sill. It was a very homey room.

His nerves had heightened as the realisation that this was his family for the foreseeable future set in. 

A man in a dark grey suit stood up to greet Tony. He had a kind face and he stuck out his hand for Tony to shake. This mans grip was a lot more loose and more casual. “Hey there Anthony. I’m Daniel, Peggy’s husband. Welcome. We’re happy to have you here.” His smile was genuine, like he cared about Tony despite never having met him before. Tony smiled back nervously, not used to this kind of behaviour from a man. Daniel gestured for the group to sit. Tony immediately claimed the window seat.

“So, i believe it is time to walk you guys though the whole situation. Now, Tony is a special case....” Ms.Walker began talking but Tony could sense he wasn’t going to like this conversation, so, he pulled out his phone, plugged in his eye phones and listened to some dramatic sad songs in his Spotify playlist. He scrolled through his phone, answering old text messages from months ago. He hesitated over one name. Rhodey. Tony’s best friends in the military. There was an unopened message from him sent three months ago. Tony opened it and sent back a quick “Hey.” He felt guilty for ignoring his friend but things have been really rough recently. Rhodey will understand. He always does.

Tony was broken out of his trance by Nick placing his hand on his knee. He jumped in shock, quickly turning his music and phone off. Nick was smiling sadly. Tony immediately knew that he had to leave now. His heart snakes and his mind went into a frenzy of worry. Tony jumped up, pulling Nick into a tight hug. He tucked his head into Nicks torso, hiding his face from everyone in the room. Nick ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm the boy. He peeled Tony off of him and looked him in the eye. He brushed away a stray tear that slipped down his cheek. He smiled. 

“Don’t be crying now boy. I’ll come back. You know i will.” 

Tony giggles, roughly scrubbing his tears away. “Thank you Nick. For everything. Really.”

This time Nick was the one pulling the boy into a hug. Nicks heart pinged at the boys words, happy that the boy understood that Nick was trying his best. Tony’s mind was having a gory war with itself. Logically, Tony knew Nick would visit but the fear that Nick had seen Tony at his worst and has now decided he just wasn’t worth it anymore. He didn’t want to let go.

“You’re a special boy, Tony. Please, don’t throw it all away.” Nick said wisely, like he knew Tony was going to do the opposite anyway. Nick patted his on the shoulder before turning his back and leaving.

Tony quickly composed himself, trying not to let his emotions show too much so soon. He forced a smile onto his face and turned to the couple in the room. Well, time to greet the new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, i am not an expect in social services or doctor stuff so this may be inaccurate but i’m enjoying it. also, thank you for the positive comments :)  
> xx


	4. I’ll leave when my cigarette burns out.

Tony sighed sadly as he watched Ms.Walker and Nick drive away through the living room window. His palms were sweaty and his legs felt like jelly. He was officially in his new home. That thought was terrifying.

“Anthony, dear, if you’d like to sit down and we’d like to run you through a few things.” Peggy said, patting the spare seat beside her on the couch. Tony forced his feet to move and, although the couch itself was extremely comfortable, Tony could not allow himself to relax.

“Ma’am, you can call me Tony.” He said politely, trying not to anger the women by correcting her. Peggy tilted her head.

“Would you like me to call you Tony?”

“Um, you can call me whenever you want really, I don’t mind that much-“

“Would you like me to call you Tony?” She repeated, a little more firmly this time.

Tony’s eyebrows scrunched up, baffled by the behaviour.” Um, yes please, ma’am.”

“Well then, Tony, you can call me Peggy.” She smirked smugly, knowing she won whatever just happened. Tony nodded uncomfortably.

“So,” Daniel interrupted. “Tony, we just wanna run you through a few rules before you meet the kids. Now, theses rules aren’t set in stone and can be changed but this is just for now. Ok?” Tony nodded silently, too uneasy to speak.

“Rule one, for now, no party’s unless you have someone we trust going with you.” Daniel said, making Tony’s eyes widen. Tony loves parties. That was his whole thing. If he couldn’t go to parties then who would he become? Peggy noticed the reaction but didn’t say anything. “Rule two, no drinking or drugs. We know you smoke so we’re asking you to only smoke outside.” Now that confused Tony. “We’re not your parents Tony. We’re not going to force you to stop smoking. But, we can encourage you to get healthier coping mechanisms. Which, we will do.” Peggy chimed in, helping Tony make sense of the rule. “Rule three, curfew on weekdays are 9:30pm and weekends are 11:30pm. Unless you have a good reason to be out later then these times, we expect you to follow this.” Daniel raised an eyebrow questioningly. Tony shrugged him shoulders unhelpfully.

“Now Tony, these rules aren’t set in stone but we do expect you to follow them for the time being. You’re apart of this family now and we will treat you as such.” Peggy said, somehow aggressively yet lovingly. Tony smiled and nodded again. Peggy smiled back. “Now, do you think you’re ready to meet the others?” Tony’s heart sank but he shoved down the worry and instead put on an obviously forced smile. “Yes, ma’am, I’m ready.” Peggy raised an eyebrow at the title but ignored it in favour of leaving the room to get the kids. 

“Would you like a drink Tony?” Daniel asked.

“Um, yes please. A coffee would be great. Thanks.” Tony responded unsurely.

Daniel got up and left the room to get the beverages. Tony used the silence to take a moment to take a breath. He was still struggling to comprehend what had happened in the past 24hours. He was praying that the people he was staying with where nice enough.

When the door reopened, Tony watched as Peggy entered followed by far too many teenagers. They all looked uncomfortable, bar for one who looked very excited and hyper. Tony smiled at then, preferring that behaviour to the others. 

“Well, i’ll let you lot get to know each other while i go sort out some paperwork.” She winked at Tony before leaving the room again. The tension was thick in the room. Everyone was shifting uncomfortably. The hyper kid looked ready to explode. Tony decided to break the silence.

“I’m Tony.” That was it. The group stared at him, the air still holding an uncomfortable aura. Everyone began to take a seat, wanting to feel as normal as possible. The hyper kid sat beside Tony. He raised an eyebrow to him which was enough encouragement to allow the kid to finally speak.

“You’re Tony Stark.” The kid said, not noticing the way Tony flinched at the use of his last name. “Ya, kid, that’s me......And who are you?” The kid looked amazed. “I’m-I’m Peter Parker. You’re Tony Stark.” Tony smirked a bit at the kids star struckness. “How old are you, squirt?” Peters eyes lit up. “I’m 12 years old, Mr.Stark.” Tony laughed a little. “Kid, you don’t have to call me that. Tony is fine.” Peter nodded numbly, a dopey smile on his face.

The next boy to speak was a tall blonde boy. “I’m Steve Rogers. I’m 17.” He seemed like a jock type of character to Tony. He had a sense of smugness and entitlement about him that made Tony uneasy. He didn’t trust this guy. He looked harmless enough but his eyes held a certain glare towards Tony, like his presence has insulted him. Still, he forced a smile and shook hands, making squeezing a bit too hard but who’s to say. Then, “I’m Peter Quill. I’m 16.” Tony notes the last names of the two Peters as to not get them mixed up. “I’m Natasha Romanoff. I’m 15.” She looked scary. Her red hair stood out against her dark clothing. “I’m Clint Barton. I’m 15 too.” He looked friendly, like the type of guy Tony would seek out to be friends with.. “Right, well, hello to you all.” Tony finished with a smirk on his lips, feeling a lot more comfortable more.

“So, what are you here for?” Clint asked, moaning in pain as Natasha elbowed him in the ribs. Tony smiled bitterly. 

“Ended up in hospital for a bit. Life happened and now i’m here. Not super exciting, I promise. So, are we all foster kids? We’re all the unlucky ones?” Tony said, attempting to cover any vulnerabilities that may have slipped by. Steve frowned, obviously put off by the question. Natasha’s eyebrows scrunched up. Parker’s face tilted like a confused puppy, probably not understanding the now hostile energy in the room.

“Actually,” Steve started, a harsh glare in his eyes. “Natasha, Clint and I are all adopted. Quill and Parker are still new around here.” Tony slipped a smug look onto his face, trying to get a rise out of the blond at this point.

“Oh, so you’ve been here awhile then? What’s your story? Druggie parents? Dead parents? Dumb parents that forgot you existed? Come one, give me something.” Tony felt his heart speed up by the murderous look on Steve’s face but forced it down to instead look him in the eye, daring him to make the next move.

“We should show Tony his room.” Natasha interrupted, sensing something bad would happen if the two boys were left to argue. Tony chose to ignore it when she pushed everyone to leave the room except Steve and Quill. He also choose to ignore her not so quiet whispers of “Please, Quill, calm him down.” Oh well, he’s rather them hate him then accept him.

She brought them up the stairs where Tony paused for a moment. He took a proper look at the drawings on the wall. They were all happy drawings. Ones made of love. 

“Oh, those.” He turned to Clint. “Me and Steve drew those back when we were kids. Peggy refuses to take them down.” Tony almost felt bad for being so mean to Steve now. Almost.

“Ya. Maybe she should’ve taken them down.” Tony spat, trying not to look at Natasha who was shooting daggers into his head. All Clint did was laugh though.

“You’re just jealous, Stark. You might be smart but i’m obviously the artist around here.” 

Tony smirked, Clint seemed to get it. 

Natasha rolled her eyes, sighing disappointedly. “Come on.” She continued leading him up. They walked past a few doors before she stopped in front of one. “This will be yours.” She opened the door to show a large enough room. Half of the room was clear of any stuff other then a perfectly made queen sized bed. The other half of the room was obviously lived in. There were clothes thrown on the carpet, a closet wide open and a messy bed. Posters covered the walls. Natasha flicked Clint on the forehead. “I thought i told you to clean up.” So, Tony was sharing a room with Clint. Great.

“I did! This is cleaner!”

“I said clean. Not cleaner. Dumbass.”

“Well, maybe you should have specif-“

Tony interrupted, not wanting the siblings to argue because Tony was there. “This is fine, really. I’ve lived through messier.” Tony smirked at Clint, the boy returning it with a arm slung around Tony’s shoulder. “See? He gets it Nat.” She gave the pair an unimpressed look before rolling her eyes again.

“Whatever. We’ll leave you to get yourself unpacked Tony. We’ll be downstairs when your ready.” Natasha almost had to physically pull Clint and Peter from the room. 

Once the room was empty, Tony bathed in the silence for a second. He sat on the bed, rubbing his hand over the hand made blanket on top of the duvet. Tony lay down, resting his head on the pillow and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of vanilla and lavender. It smelt like a home. A welcoming home. The boy felt tears well up in his eyes and swallowed them down. God, moments like these made it difficult to stay sober. He slowly sat up, pulling his suitcase up onto the bed with him and ruffled through until he got to his pack of cigarettes. He pocketed them and a lighter for later, when he got a chance to go outside alone. He stood and made his way toward the large window in the middle of the room. He looked out and smiled at the view. The garden was large, an area in the middle holding an L shaped couch with a fireplace beside it. There was a water fountain beside the area. It was pretty and looked like it was lived in. Tony’s garden back at the mansion was always groomed perfectly, no sign of life allowed on it. This garden was prettier.

He ran a nervous hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck. He decided he should start making his way downstairs now. He left the room and decided before leaving to check where the bathroom was. It was, conveniently, in the room directly beside Tony’s. Perfect. It was a large, pristine bathroom. There were only three toothbrushes in the toothbrush holder on the sink so Tony knew that there was at least another bathroom in the house. He finally made his downstairs, the stairs creaking every now and again. Tony memorised what stairs creaked as to avoid them in the future. Just in case he needed to be super quiet. 

Tony entered the room he could hear noise from. The family was gathered in the kitchen/dining room. There was a lot of natural lighting in here. Steve, Quill and Clint were sitting at the dining table, seemingly doing homework. Tony assumes it was math as Quill was loudly shouting random numbers while Steve kept correcting him and Clint just looked stressed out. Peter was with Natasha, Peggy and Daniel in the kitchen area making cups of teas and coffees and sandwiches. Peter was the first to notice Tony’s entrance and quickly ran up to him and hugged him. Tony flinched, not expecting the sudden contact. He looked at the boy, then looked at Peggy who shrugged unhelpfully. Tony patted the boys head which seemed to be enough for the boy to let go and pull Tony towards where he was helping make the sandwiches. 

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him as he enthusiastically nodded along as Peter rambled about how to make the perfect sandwich. Tony commenters every now and again with his own opinions, smiling at Peters disgusted face as he mentioned ham in sandwiches.

“I’m telling you Tony. Ham doesn’t belong there. Literally, any other kind of meat is fine but, ugh, no. That-That’s not ok. I can’t allow that to happen.” The boy said, glaring at Tony as he giggled. Peggy and Daniel shared a look before announcing, “Ok, brunch is served.”

Everyone who wasn’t in the kitchen scrambled to find a seat in the dining room. Tony stood still, waiting for the last seat to be open before taking a spot. Luckily, the last seat was between the two Peters and across from Natasha. Tony quietly took his cup of coffee and drank it in silence, taking in the room and the people in it. They all seemed so happy. Like a real family. And here Tony came, barging in and demanding a spot in their picture perfect life. He felt a little guilty at that. He decided to not indulge in the sandwiches, still feeling full from his BLT from earlier. Being in the middle of something so....wholesome was almost sickening. Tony focused on keeping his breaths even until the meal was over.

Once everyone had cleared their plates and their cups were empty, Tony got up to help with the dishes. Daniel insisted he didn’t have to do that but Tony actually wanted to. To distract himself he supposed. His skin was starting to itch and his back curled. He needed something. When Peggy came over to check on him, he asked shyly “Is it if i go outside for a...ya know. A smoke?” Tony almost flinched at Peggy’s disappointed look but she nodded nonetheless.

Tony nearly sprinted out of the house, excited to finally get a breath of air. He made his way towards the fireplace and sat in the corner of the L shaped couch. He brought his knees into his chest and pulled out a cigarette. The first inhale was bliss. He leaned his head back, exhaling the toxin into the air. He stayed like that for a moment, staring at the sky numbly. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts, wanting to talk to someone but not knowing who. He pressed a name and held the phone to his ear, listening to the dial tone as he took another drag. A click sounded on the other line. He’s answered.

“Tony? My boy, is that you?” Tiberius’ voice sounded rough, like he’d just woken up which Tony wouldn’t be surprised if he had. It was still very early.

“Hey Ti. It’s me.” He huffed our a laugh.

“Dude. I’m surprised your alive. No ones heard from you in months. We all thought you were dead or something. What happened?”

“Oh, so much bullshit. Nearly died and now Howard’s in trouble with the feds. I gotta live with this other family for the next while though which will be.....weird i guess.” Tony felt himself get tense just talking about his situation, not knowing how Ti would react.

“Oh shit. Nearly died? Damn. How?” Tony was surprised that Ti had simply brushed over the fact Tony was living with another family. Or, perhaps, he simply just didn’t hear him.

“It was the night of Claire’s party. Can’t remember a whole lot but i do remember waking in hospital two days later and being sent to rehab.”

“You went to rehab? No way! Are you, like, sober now?”

“Ya. Well, i haven’t drank or done any shit in three months so, yes, i’m sober.”

“Dude, i hope your not planning on staying sober.”

Tony laughed slightly. “Of course I’m not. What? You thought i went to rehab to stay sober? Come on Ti.”

A deep laugh echoed through the other end of the phone. “That’s what i like to hear.”

“Why did you wanna know anyways?”

“Peppers throwing a huge Halloween party next month. She inviting like, everyone in the surrounding states, dude. You gotta come.”

Of course it was Pepper. Pretty, smart and amazing Pepper. “Really? I’ll be there man. You know i hate to miss a party.”

“Hell yes, Tony! I miss seeing you wasted. You’re always such a blast, man. Hey, to celebrate you getting out of rehab, how about you, me and the gang go on a bender next Friday? Like old times.”

Well, it want exactly a bad idea in Tony’s mind. ”Dude, that’s sounds great. I’ll need to run it by Ms.Carter though. She’s got strict about her rules.”

“Oh come on dude. Try your hardest, pleaseeeeee.” Tony could practically see the puppy dog eyes through the phone.

“I promise i’ll try my hardest Ti.”

“Ok, great. Can’t wait. Anyway....”

They spoke for a few more minute, catching up on everything Tony has missed in the past few months. Once Tony’s cigarette was nothing but ash, he excused himself from the call, promising to continue the conversation when he saw him in school in a few days. Ti was reluctant to let him go but allowed him anyway. Tony stared at the blank screen of his phone for a few minutes, not really in reality. So lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear the voice calling his from the house. He certainly didn’t hear footsteps running towards him. He certainly didn’t hear the person directly behind him call his name again.

Tony leaped from his seat when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned to the culprit and saw a frightened Peter Parker. He was staring at his hand like it was made from fire and then looked back at Tony. He smiled at the boy reassuringly and made a quick joke about the situation. The boy instantly fell back into his cheery attitude again and started blabbering about some boy in his class who was a prick to everyone for no reason. Tony nodded along, not really concentrating on anything happening. 

Once Tony entered the house again, he ignored all the strange looks he got and attempts at conversation and immediately fled to his room. He collapsed on the bed, exhausted from the day he’s had so far at its not even lunch time yet. He closed his eye and drifted into a restless sleep. He dreamt of white men, who looked easily similar to a certain Howard Stark, with too much power. Enough to kill god. He glared at him. He was not welcome, in this house or anywhere. He did not belong.

Although, he wasn’t really too worried about belonging

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ! This is my first fic in a very long time and honestly i am very proud of it. I have a few chapter written so far and plan on releasing two chapter a week. I really like my work so please be nice and constructive criticism is welcomed.  
> Thank you !  
> xx


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